Online Psychotherapy, Counselling & Understanding Trauma
Online Therapy – Main Pros, Cons and Considerations
Main Pros of Online Therapy
- Saves travel effort, time and costs to and from a therapy room.
- Gives you access to therapists outside of your location.
- Easily accessible if you are travelling.
- Often more flexible as rooms do not need to be booked.
- Easy for the therapist to share information about trauma with screen shares if appropriate.
- You may prefer not to be physically in the same room as your therapist.
Main Cons of Online Therapy
- Discussing trauma or big emotions in your personal space, and particularly a bedroom, may not feel appropriate nor safe.
- If you live with other people you may not have the privacy you need. You may live with someone you wish to discuss in therapy.
- You need to have equipment to access Zoom and reasonable internet connection.
- You may prefer to be physically in the same room as your therapist.
Other considerations
- Consider delineating sessions somehow, rather than going straight into a meeting/errand afterwards.
- Headsets provide better sound quality both ends.
- Ensure your therapist is qualified, continues to improve their knowledge and skills, and is part of a recognised professional body.
- If using a work laptop check it does not have legitimate monitoring devices.